Spike puller



p 1, 1931- .1. H. TURNER 1,821,041

SPIKE FULLER Filed July 12, 1930 5, Y One of the objects of this invention is to Patented Sept. 1, 1931 JOHN H. TURNER, O1 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA SPIKE FULLER Application filed July 12,

This invention relates to improvements in K spike pullers used in connectio-nwith railroad f maintenance of way operations or in repairing rails and associated parts.

I provide a simple, efiicient and inexpensive device'of this character which will serve to expedite operations of extracting spikes from the railroad ties.

f A further object of this invention is to provide-improved means for obtaining adjustments for the handle of the spike puller whereby this handle is designed to be moved in any angular position with respect to the vertical for the purpose of adapting the spike puller or claw bar for use on rails located on bridges and adjacent to the edge thereof.

Another important purpose of this invention is to provide a spike puller or claw bar 20 with a rocking surface and with opposing j claws by aid of'which spikes may be quickly I pulled out from ties, and by the assistance of I the adjustable handle of which, the spike pullermay beoperated at varying angles with -respect to the head'of therails or the like.

My invention is so constructed that the rocking claw bar can tilt upon the tie to give the operator any desired leverage and purchase he desires for obtaining a secure hold upon the spike head in the act of extracting the same from the tie.

. Another object of this invention is to pro- ;vide an arcuate series of integral spurs upon the rocking surface of the spike puller or claw bar designed to enter the tie with a degree of friction thatwill assure no slippage of the rocking surface of the spike puller when the same is in use.

A further object of this invention is to provide means whereby the handle may he swung pivotally upon the spike puller and locked in adjusted angular position desired; means being provided for allowing the handle to swing in either direction rightor left from a the center line of the spike puller or from the claw b ar. I

/Vith the above and other objects in view my invention consists in. the combination, arrangement and details of construction dis- :,o closed in the drawings and specification, and

1930. Serial No. 467,505.

then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views, 6

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view, mostly in section, similar to Figure 1 but taken in a plane at right 7 angles thereto, on

Figure 3 is an exaggerated fragmental view in front elevation of the lower part of the device,

Figure 4- is a diagrammatic view of a rail showing the adjusted positions of the handle of the spike puller relatively thereto,

Figure 5 is a fragmental sectional view of the spike puller showing the dog in reversed position upon the ratchet thereof, and M Figure 6 is a fragmental sectional detaikm view of the dog with the handle.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts and which are merely illustrative of my, invention I show a tubular elongated rigiditfi handle 10 which at its inner end is provided with a bifurcated portion of circular outline designated 11, this circular bifurcated portion being slotted as at 12. A pivot pin passes thru this bifurcated portion 11 and also fl passes thru so as to pivotally connect the upper central portion or shank 14a of the spike puller 14: provided with an under rocking surface 16. For giving this spike puller u better purchase upon the tie it may engage integral spurs 17 are formed upon the rocking surface of the spike puller in arcuate formation as shown in Figure 1. The spike puller 14 is also provided at opposite ends with the claws 16a, and 16a respectively as shown in Figure 2 with the intervening slot 167) between the claws. In other words the spike engaging part of the tool is also bifurcated or made fork-shaped, each part of the bifurcated claw being curved and" tapered to meet the segmental rocking bottom surface of the tool. The spike puller can thus be rocked and either curved tapered spike engaging partwith its claws made to engage the. head of the spike for spike ex tracting purposes. The upper end of the shank 14a of the spike puller 14: is made circular and is formed with an arcuate series of integral ratchet teeth 15 designed to be releasedly engaged by the blunt end 19 of dog 18 formed upon an elongated operating rod 20 which extends thru the tubular interiorof thehandle 10. The dog may be round in configuration and its blunt terminal will taper so as to engage between any two teeth of the ratchet 15. it will be seen that the rod 20 projects beyond the outer end of the hollow or tubular handle 10 at which point it is provided with a head or cap 25.

The hollow handle 10' is formed at its outer ,end with a diametrical slit or cavity 23, and

the rod 20 is formed with diametrically opposite pins 24 designed to seat in the cavity 23.. Thecavity is twice or more than twice thethickness of the pins 24. At the. lower end of the tubular handle is a counterbere 21 in which the dog 18 on the rod is movably (mounted. .A. contractile spring 22 is housed ,in this counterbore 21 and bears at one end against the inner end ofthe counterbore and ,bears at its outer end against the dog 18,

:pressing the dog, at all times, in positive engagement with the ratchet teeth 15 of the shank l la of the spike puller 14. it will readily be seen that when it is desired to move the handle 10 angularly of the spike puller and therearound, that spike puller 1can be engaged with the spike by causing either of its bifurcated ends to be wedged between the head of the spike and the tie.

This firmly anchors the spike puller proper,

- so now the operator can pull or push the handlcback'or forth, depending on which direction the dog has its terminal 19 engaged with the ratchet teeth. Thus in Figure 1 the Iliandle will be pulled to the right, w ich act will makethe dog wedge and Sill) over any teeth 15 of the ratchet, this'action being illustrated in Figure 6 where it will be seen that the dog rides over the teeth the spring 22 is compressed in its counterbore and thus the dog can ride over the teeth. Where the rails are located adjacent the edge of a bridge the operator must'often stand between the outer spike may jnsted at an angle that makes rail and the bridge edge and in pulling at the lose his balance and hazard his In Figure 4 the handle is shown adthe handle life.

- extend from one side of the rail to the other i t handle in a counter direction, the rod 20 lifted, against tenslon oit spring 22 to ill-o mndog 18 out of engagement with the teeth allowing theoperator to stand between two rails and pull the spikes out of the tie the opposite sides of the rail. To adjust 7 .15; at this time pins 24 on rod 20 have been raised from the bottom of cavity 23., but are still housed in the cavity, so now the operator gtakes hold of cap 25 and turns the rod and turns the pins 24 a half a circle until they can be snapped back into the cavity, and now the dog has its tapering terminal facing an opposite direction. I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction but cover all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device for the'purpose described conisting of a tubular handle, a bifurcated terminal formed upon the handle, said handle being formed with a counterbore immediate- 1y above said terminal, a longitudinal rod passing thru the tubular handle and projecting therebeyond, a cap on the outer end of the rod, a dog carried by the rod and movably mounted in said counterbore, a spring in said coimterbor'e between the dog and the inner par of the counterbore, a spike puller memher having a central stem formed with a circular' series of ratchet teeth engaged by the.

dog under pressure from said spring, whereby when the handle moves adjustably around the stem of the member the dog slips over the ratchet teeth against the tension of the spring, a pivot pin connecting the stem of the member in the bifurcated terminal of the handle, and means holding the dog against rotation in the counterbore.

2. A device for thepurpose described consisting of a tubular handle, having a circular bifurcated terminal, a claw bar having a central shank extending into the terminal movably, a pivot pin passing thruthe shank and the terminal whereby the handle may be moved adjustably around the shank of the claw bar, a circular ratchet surface formed upon the upper end of the shank of the bar, a dog 'movably mounted in the handle and engaging the ratchet of thebar, a spring in back of the dog holding it in positive engagement with the ratchet, an'elongated rod'secured to the dog for turning the samein the handle, said rod projecting thru the outer end of the tubular handle, a cap on the outermost end of the rod, said handle adjacent to the cap being formed with a diametrical slit, and a pair of oppositely extending pins on the rod projecting into the slit of the handle and being of a thickness one half of the depth of the slit, said cap being adapted to be thrust outwardly to disengage the dog, against the tension of the spring, and to permit the pins on the rod to be lifted out of the slit to dispose the dog in a diametrically opposite poition on the ratchet surface, said dog being adapted to slip over the ratchet surface as the handle is adjusted over the stem, thereby causing the pins to move in the slit without leaving the latter.

In witness whereof he has hereunder set his hand this 22nd day of Februar 1930.

' JOHN H. TURNER.

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